The World Cup third-place playoff is historically a meaningless exhibition. A glorified friendly for losers. Nobody told England and France. Thomas Tuchel’s squad wrapped up their 2026 campaign with a chaotic, utterly ridiculous 6-4 victory over Les Bleus to claim a bronze medal. At the center of this ten-goal madness were Arsenal’s prized assets, proving once again that North London runs the national team.
Bukayo Saka had a point to make. He made it. Loudly. After being bafflingly left on the bench during the semi-final heartbreak against Argentina, the winger returned with a vengeance, bagging a clinical hat-trick. He started by pouncing on a rebound from a Marcus Rashford effort. Just before the break, Eberechi Eze threaded a gorgeous pass to Saka, who slotted it home to make it 4-0. France, being France, refused to die quietly. Kylian Mbappé struck twice, flanked by goals from Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé, threatening a historic comeback. But Saka killed the drama. An 87th-minute penalty sealed his treble, making him only the fourth Englishman in history to score a World Cup hat-trick.
“I would love to have played more,” Saka muttered to Sky Sports afterward, his polite exterior barely masking the obvious frustration of a star benched when it mattered most. He insisted he was fully fit. Tuchel, facing the inevitable post-tournament inquest, scrambled to defend his semi-final selection, claiming Saka’s benching was purely tactical. Right. Sure it was.
Then there was Declan Rice. He wore the captain’s armband and played like a man possessed. Rice opened the scoring early, ruthlessly punishing a sloppy French giveaway, before turning provider by whipping in the corner for Ezri Konsa’s header. Despite lingering tournament-long whispers about his physical condition, the midfielder covered every blade of grass.
Jude Bellingham finally put the game to bed deep in stoppage time, securing England’s best World Cup finish since Bobby Moore lifted the trophy in 1966. For Mikel Arteta, watching from London, the result is a massive relief. His two key men are returning healthy, firing, and ready to defend Arsenal’s Premier League crown. The summer is over. The real grind begins now.
